Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Pie is made with a chocolate graham cracker crust, cream cheese peanut butter filling, and sweetened whipped cream topping. It’s so easy to assemble and is a fantastic make-ahead dessert for potlucks, picnics, and holiday gatherings! 

About This Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

While on a business trip to New Orleans, my dad found a recipe for Peanut Butter Pie in a local newspaper. As kids we loved this pie!

I was recently reminded of the recipe and decided it had been far too long since I’ve had it, but I couldn’t make it without giving it the Good Life Eats glow-up.

My version has been adapted from the recipe that I grew up eating – with a crust made of chocolate graham crackers with a hint of espresso rather than vanilla wafers.

Instead of cool whip, my recipe uses real whipped cream and is sweetened only with powdered sugar rather than including sweetened condensed milk, which is still plenty rich and sweet!

For those curious, here is the original recipe that my dad brought home below:

Making this Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

If you’re a peanut butter fiend, you’re going to love this rich and silky pie. It’s an almost no-bake dessert — the chocolate graham cracker crust is baked for 10 minutes to help it set, but the filling and whipped cream topping are both no-bake. 

Because the filled pie has to be refrigerated overnight, it’s a great make-ahead dessert for family gatherings, dinner parties, picnics, or anytime you’re craving the irresistible combination of peanut butter and chocolate. 

The filling is made with cream cheese for richness and creaminess, but the addition of whipped cream keeps the pie from being too dense. The finished peanut butter cream cheese pie is already rich enough as is, but a few chocolate curls on top are a nice finishing touch. 

Bring this pie to your next event — I promise you won’t be taking any leftovers home! 

Tools Needed for This Recipe 

This is such a quick and easy pie to assemble. I suggest having the following kitchen tools on hand:  

• 9-inch Pie Plate — You’ll want a standard pie plate for this recipe, not one that’s deep dish. 
• Measuring Cups and Spoons — Needed for almost any dessert. 
• Liquid Measuring Cup — For measuring the heavy whipping cream.
• Food Processor — For crushing the graham crackers and making the crust. If you don’t have a food processor, a zip-top bag and a rolling pin will do the job! 
• Electric Mixer — For whipping the cream. 
• Knife and Cutting Board — For making the chocolate shavings. 

Recipe Ingredients

This decadent peanut butter pie recipe has three parts: the graham cracker crust, the peanut butter filling, and the whipped cream topping. Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Chocolate graham crackers
• Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder
• Espresso powder
• Granulated sugar
• Salted butter
• Cream cheese (brick-style) 
• Creamy peanut butter (see allergen note below) 
• Vanilla bean paste or extract
• Powdered sugar
• Fine sea salt
• Heavy whipping cream
• Chocolate curls (for garnish)

Allergy Tip: This pie recipe has also been tested using Barney Butter almond butter as a substitute for peanut butter. In the event that you have someone in the family with a peanut allergy like we do, natural almond butter will NOT work in this recipe. It is too runny and the pie does not set up. You need an almond butter with the same consistency of classic peanut butter, which is why I recommend Barney Butter almond butter as a substitute.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Pie 

The hands-on prep work for this recipe is fairly minimal, but be sure to plan your time appropriately because the pie has to chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours before being served. 

I suggest making the peanut butter cream cheese pie the night before you plan on serving it to make your life easier! 

1. Prepare the crust: Crush the chocolate graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and granulated sugar in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the melted butter. 
2. Bake the crust: Press the crust mixture into a 9-inch pie plate that’s been greased with non-stick spray. Bake at 350F for around 10 minutes. 
3. Make the peanut butter filling: Beat together the softened cream cheese and peanut butter. Then, add the vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, and salt. 
4. In another bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. 
5. Chill the pie: Turn the peanut butter filling into the chilled pie crust. Refrigerate until firm (at least 8 hours). 
6. Garnish and serve: Just before serving, prepare some sweetened whipped cream and spread it over the pie. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired. 

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Can the chocolate graham crackers be substituted? 

Yes, you can substitute the graham cracker crust with the Oreo crust from my chocolate tart recipe. Still use a standard 9-inch pie plate and don’t change anything else! 

Can chunky peanut butter be used instead? 

You could technically use chunky peanut butter, but that would make the peanut butter pie filling oddly chunky. I prefer the filling to be silky and creamy, but if chunky peanut butter sounds good to you then you can try it. 

Can the filling be made with granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar? 

No, you need to use powdered sugar in the filling to keep the pie silky smooth. Since it’s a no-bake filling, using granulated sugar in it would result in a grainy pie. 

Can a different nut butter be used in this recipe? 

Yes, you can use any nut or seed butter you like so long as it’s the same consistency as traditional, no-stir peanut butter. We have a peanut allergy in our family, so if I’m making this pie for them I use Barney Butter almond butter. 

Can the peanut butter pie be made in advance? 

Absolutely! It will last up to 1 week in the fridge. Wait to add the whipped cream until you’re ready to slice and serve the pie. 

Peanut Butter Pie Storage Instructions 

Peanut butter pie with whipped cream topping will last up to 1 week in the fridge, and it can also be frozen for up to 3 months. 

Do not freeze the pie with the whipped cream topping already added. Whipped cream is prone to deflating and doesn’t freeze well.

If you are making the pie specifically to freeze, either add whipped cream topping after thawing OR top it with stabilized whipped cream, which holds its shape well once frozen. 

Try This Recipe at Home! 

More Easy Pies and Tarts:

Bourbon Pecan Pie is similar to the classic pie recipe, but with a more nuanced flavor thanks to the addition of smooth bourbon. Serve with bourbon whipped cream for a truly boozy dessert!  

Cranberry Apple Pie is a unique Thanksgiving dessert your whole family will love! 

Chocolate Tarts are the perfect decadent, special occasion chocolate dessert! This Chocolate Tart features an Oreo crust for extra chocolate flavor and is topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. 

This beautiful Mixed Berry Galette is perfect for summer entertaining. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are combined with lemon sugar, then baked in a homemade almond crust.

This Chocolate Pecan Tart recipe can be used to make one large tart or 6-8 mini tarts. Skip the pecan pie this year, and make a pecan tart instead! These pecan tartlets feature tart shells filled with bittersweet chocolate, pecan halves, and gooey filling.

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